Man Loses House in Fire, Again

POINT TOWNSHIP — Firefighters in Northumberland County spent the afternoon putting out a house fire near Northumberland. The man who lives there made it out safely, but lost most of his possessions.

Bob Whary said he finally got his life back together after his house was destroyed by fire two years ago in Sunbury. Now, he must start all over again after his new house burned down on Thursday.

Bob Whary watched as firefighters put out the flames at his house on Duke Street near Northumberland. Everything he owns was inside the home.

“I was in the living room, and I saw smoke behind the couch. Nothing was there so I looked in the basement. The basement was on fire. Everything was in flames,” said Whary.

Whary’s pet bird died in the fire, and his brand new car is ruined, but he and his dog made it out safely.

“At least he’s fine. That’s all we care about. I don’t want him to be hurt. He’s hurting right now because he lost the house, but at least he’s fine,” said Kristy Whary, Bob Whary’s daughter-in-law.

This is not the first time Whary has lost everything he owns in a fire. About two years ago, an extension cord caught on fire at his house in Sunbury, destroying his house and two others. Whary said he lived in this house for about a year, and was still putting his life back together from the last fire.

“I was just starting all over again. Now I’ll start over again again. Oh well. That is life, nothing you can do about it,” said Whary.

Investigators in Northumberland County believe the fire started in the basement. Officials are investigating what caused the fire, but do not believe it is suspicious.